Stronger
by PrinRue
Summary: As he watched his human fall toward the ocean, Toothless felt a desperation he'd only known once before. And he had to save him. RoB S1E13 "When Lightning Strikes"; Toothless' POV


**Riders of Berk has some truly great Hiccup/Toothless moments, and one of the most iconic certainly comes from the episode "When Lightning Strikes". There's so much emotion packed into Toothless' expressions in those two minutes that it's hard not to feel his desperation and panic when he sees Hiccup fall into the ocean. There's also clear parallels to the first movie (I mean, the first thing Hiccup does when he wakes up is check his remaining foot, haha) and I imagine that experience gave Toothless some not so great flashbacks. **

**Thua, I've written that scene from the Night Fury's perspective. Thoughts and feels ensue! **

**Enjoy!**

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Helpless.

I've felt my fair share of helplessness over the past year, from the first day I woke up in the Cove, to the day of the Red Death's defeat, to the many crashes my rider and I have endured due to my missing tailfin. But nothing, _nothing, _leaves me feeling more helpless than seeing my human in danger, and knowing there's nothing I can do about it.

He will stop at nothing to protect me; he's made that more than clear since we've been together. Even if it means putting himself in harm's way.

And today, with me being so close to exile, I know there's nothing I can say that would make him stop his quest to clear my name.

I watch, completely helpless from my bound and chained state, as he jumps from Stormfly, metal spear in hand, onto the mast of the ship. Astrid hovers by him for a moment, and I can't hear what they're saying, but it's clear she's not comfortable with whatever his words are. Still, she flies back down, landing by me.

"Please, Hiccup…" she whispers, and my heart sinks a little lower. What is he doing?

All around us, the thunder continues booming, and the air is so filled with electricity the humans' hair is standing on end. And all I can do is watch, silently pleading for my human to be alright.

"You'll all see for yourselves!" Hiccup yells down to the Berkians. Another flash of lightning strikes behind him, and he jumps, but still continues. "When I attach this metal rod to the top of this mast-" he lifts his weapon toward the sky. "-the lightning will be drawn to-"

But he doesn't get to finish his statement.

A bright, blinding flash strikes the metal in his hand, and, almost as if in slow motion, I see it travel from the rod, through his arm, and into the rest of his body. A screech escapes me, and I barely even hear the chief yelling his son's name as pure terror takes over my senses. Hiccup's body goes limp, and he falls from the top of the ship, plummeting toward the ocean.

And in that moment, a force stronger than anything I've felt in a long time takes over me. It's something I haven't felt in such fury since the Battle of the Red Death, when Hiccup was falling into Her flames. It's something I prayed I'd never feel again. Desperation, blinding and terrifying, fills every inch of my being, and I tear at the chains holding me down. With a strength I didn't even know I possessed, the bonds securing me to this wooden platform break, and with a roar, I jump from captivity.

I'm hardly even aware of the other Vikings crowding the docks as I push my way through. Because the only thing in my mind is my human, as the terrible images of the lightning traveling through his small frame flash in my vision.

I barrel through the last couple Vikings, and without any further thought, I leap into the salty water, right past the chief and Gobber.

It's harder to swim with my fake tailfin destroyed, but I'm not going to let that stop me. Nothing can prevent me from reaching him.

Because just like Hiccup does for me, I will stop at nothing to protect him.

I dive faster than I thought possible toward his lifeless body, my eyes trained on his. Briefly, I see him open them slightly, though I don't know if he really sees anything at all, before unconsciousness takes hold again. And my panic sets in even deeper.

Finally, I make it to him, and latch my jaw to his vest. Then, with my human secure in my grasp, I kick toward the surface.

It feels like hours as the dim light from outside gets closer and closer, and relief unlike any I've felt in a long time hits me when we finally break out of the water. I drag my limp friend onto the dock, my eyes frantically scanning every inch of him. He doesn't _look_ hurt on the outside, but if he wasn't hurt, then he wouldn't be unconscious. I nudge him with my nose a couple times, but nothing I do gets a reaction. A moment later, Stoick and Gobber are beside us, and even as the chief takes Hiccup into his arms, I can't look away from his face.

It's familiar. It's all too familiar. The closed eyes, the blank expression, the ragged breathing… even the way the chief rushed in. It's just like when I saved him from that explosion.

I step back, my mind in a jumble, as the chief begins rushing back toward town, my human in his arms. And, almost as if I'm not even controlling them, my legs begin carrying me quickly behind them.

My human is strong. He's made that quite clear with everything he's been through since we met. I know he'll pull through this, because he's dealt with worse. But just like then, I can't help but fear. I guess that's what happens when you care; you worry about those you love. And, gods, does my human make me worry a lot.

All the way home, I never leave his side. Even if the village still decides to banish me for the wrath of Thor, I won't go. At least not until I know Hiccup will be okay. After all, he took a lightning bolt to prove my innocence. The least I can do is be there for him.

And with that knowledge, I feel a little less helpless.

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**There's just something so powerful about how Toothless overcomes the same bonds he couldn't escape in the first movie, all because his human is in trouble. That show of friendship, being stronger than ever before to save the life of your friend, is just truly special. **

**I really, really want to get better at endings... I seriously never know where to go for that lol. **

**Anyway, hope you all enjoyed!**

**Till next story!**


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